+-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+ | Ship | Date Left | Date | Days Out. | | | | Arrived | | +-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+ | | 1855 | 1856 | | |_Ocean Chief_ | Dec. 7 | Jan. 25 | 80 | |_Mermaid_ | „ 21 | Feb. 10 | 82 | | | 1856 | | | |_Oliver Lang_ | Jan. 7 | April 3 | 87 | |_Champion of the Seas_ | March 8 | June 1 | 85 | |_James Baines_ | April 7 | „ 24 | 78 | |_Mindoro_ | „ 22 | July 13 | 82 | |_Lightning_ | May 6 | „ 14 | 69 | |_Red Jacket_ | „ 20 | Aug. 13 | 85 | |_Golden Era_ | June 20 | Sept. 9 | 81 | |_Morning Light_ | July 6 | „ 17 | 73 | |_Mermaid_ | „ 22 | Oct. 17 | 87 | |_Ocean Chief_ | Aug. 5 | „ 19 | 75 | |_White Star_ | „ 21 | Nov. 5 | 76 | |_Marco Polo_ | Sept. 5 | Dec. 2 | 89 | +-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+
The _Morning Light_ was a monster New Brunswick built ship, registering 2377 tons. She was on her first voyage and must not be confused with the American clipper of that name, owned by Glidden & Williams, of Boston, and built by Toby & Littlefield, of Portsmouth, N.H., a ship of half her size.
In the autumn of 1856 there was tremendous sensation in Liverpool, when the famous _James Baines_, considered by many to be the fastest ship in the world, was posted as overdue when homeward bound. All sorts of rumours spread like wildfire, and as the weeks went by and no definite information was obtained from incoming ships, something like consternation began to reign in shipping circles.
The _James Baines_ sailed from Melbourne at 1 p.m. on 7th August, 1856, passing through the Heads the following morning. On the 9th she made her best run, 356 miles, royals and skysails being set part of the time, the wind fair but squally. She made one more good run, of 340 miles, and then was held up by light airs and calms all the way to the Horn; here she encountered heavy gales, snowstorms and high cross seas. She was 36 days to the pitch of the Horn; then from 26th September to 8th November another spell of light and baffling winds delayed her passage, and she was 65 days from Port Phillip to the line.
On the 30th October, her great rival the _Lightning_, which had sailed from Melbourne just three weeks behind her, hove in sight, and the two ships were in company for a week. The meeting of the two Black Ballers is joyfully recorded in the _Lightning Gazette_, as follows:—